Editor's weekly: Giving with one hand, taking with another

According to the consultation paper, as apprentices trainee solicitors would be entitled to only £2.60 per hour in their first year and £6.08 per hour for subsequent years.See our story here.

If you want your views to be heard the SRA is keen to have your input, you have until 10 April 2012 to respond. See here for details.

Perhaps at least one of the commenter’s to the story on Lawyer2B.com will be on the phone soon?

Anonymous said: “All wannabe solicitors will first be put through years of volunteering, TCs at £2.60ph and £6ph, then be expected to accept half the current salary and later everyone will be forced to put in at least 50 days of pro bono work per year to prove his/her dedication to the profession.

“What a coincidence that deregulation of the legal market comes in the form of allowing ABS and the scrapping of SRA minimum salary? If you’re really bright you will figure out what that formula will lead to (think supermarket workers and minimum wage).”

How about the good news?

The University of Hull’s fledgling legal advice centre scooped the top prize at the LawWorks & Attorney General Student Pro Bono awards for 2012, BPP Law School student Andrianna Yianni won the Best Contribution by an Individual for her commitment to pro bono work as Student Director, while the Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn won a trophy for its pro bono initiative called Vocalise. For other winners see here.

The magic circle was also looking pleased with itself as Allen & Overy scooped the top place in the Times graduate employer of choice for law for the third year running, with the usual suspects Linklaters, Slaughter and May, Clifford Chance and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer taking the other Top 5 places.

Although Clifford Chance may be keeping its head down a little after it emerged it is to cut City associates in response to ’low NQ attrition’.

So, while Clifford Chance had been achieving some pretty good retention rates such retention has had a knock on effect further up the ladder.

PS The Law Society is calling for final applications for its Diversity Access Scheme to assist aspiring lawyers wishing to undertake the Legal Practice Course. You have until 30 March (TOMORROW) See here for details.